Metallic alloy



' No; Drawing.

Patented Mar. .7, 1933 UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL n. JACKSON, or moon, NEW- YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 REMINGTON ARMS oom- PANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE METALLIC ALLOY serving the same purpose as other lead alloys,

is of anon-poisonous character.

In one aspect the nvention contemplates the provision of a non-poisonous lead alloy" suitable for use as shot. It is well known that substantial numbers of wild birds, particularly wild fowl, are annually destroyed by lead poisoning. Where extensive shooting occurs for a period of years over the feeding grounds of wild fowl, quantities of lead shot are accumulated and these shot are swallowed by the fowl in the same manner as gravel or any other small hard objects. The shot remain for some time in the gizzard of the fowl and are discharged to the intestine in minute fragments as they are ground up by theirown abrasiveaction. The poisoning'efi'ect of such lead particles is known to be due to the formation by the digestive fluids of soluble lead salts which are assimilated and have a very detrimental effect upon certain tissues. I

The presentjnvention comprises the discovery of an alloy which, while it consists chiefly of lead and possesses the same characteristics which adapt lead for many different uses, is nevertheless non-poisonous in character. Actual experiments with this alloy upon wild ducks have-shown it to be harmless, whereas ordinary lead shot are definitely and certainly poisonousf The al loy comprises an ingredient which has the effect of rendering inactive the salts which are produced by digestive fluids. Just how this efl'ect is produced is not definitely known. It

. may be that the salts of lead are in some way rendered insoluble, or that different harmless or insoluble salts are formed, or that the al- 10y is not attacked by digestive fluids. Whatever the theoretical explanation, a surprisingly small amount of the proper ingredient is non- Application filed November 28, 1930. Serial Na- 498,755.

is sulficient to render shot non-poisonous, this effect being analogous to the effect produced upon the physical and chemical properties of other metals and alloys by the-admixture of a. small quantity of a particular ingredient or slight variations in the .proportions of the ingredients.

One ingredient which thus has the effect of rendering shot harmless to wild fowl is phosphor tin, an alloy consisting of tin with 4% or 5% of phosphorus. An excess of phosphorus is used to compensate for oxidation during the pouring of the shot. Nonpoisonous shot are secured by adding .3% to 1% of such phosphor tin to an alloy in current use. For example, a typical non-poisonous shot metal is prepared with the following composition.

' Per cent Lead 96.5 Arsenic .5 Antimony 3.0 Phosphor tin .3

This composition is subject to substantial variation, formulas containing up to 1% of phosphor tin having been found to-be successful. In the melting of the material for pouring shot some phosphorus and a small proportion of tin is oxidized and lost; the phosphor tin content of the best shot produced varies from 1% to 2%.

It is believed that the present invention comprises the first discovery of the non?- -poisonous character of such a lead alloy. Accordingly, the appended claims are to be broadly construed.

What is claimed is: v

1. As an article of manufacture, lead shot which has been rendered non-poisonous to animals by the incorporation therein of phosphor tin.

2. As an article of manufacture, shot which oisonous to animals and comprises lead a1 oyed with 10% to 1% of phosphor tin.

E I Lemme 3. As an article ofmanufacture, lead shot containing a, quantity of phosphor tin, whereby tHe salts produced by the action of the &1gestive fluids of animals upon the shot are 5 rendered non-poisonous. I

4:. As an article of manufacture, shot which is non-poisonous to animals anal comprises lead, enitmony and phosphor tin.

5. As an article of manufacture, shot which is non poisonous to animals and comprises 95%t0 96.5% lead,3% to 4% antimony, and 1% to 1% of phosphor tin,

DANIEL JACKSQN. 

